


Polyrhythm

by SoDoRoses (FairyChess)



Series: LAOFT Extras [75]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Cute Kids, Fluff, M/M, theyre just tiny lil baby gays who dont even realize they have crushes on each other yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 22:57:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21044186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses
Summary: Polyrhythm (noun): the simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in a musical composition; cross-rhythm.





	Polyrhythm

**Author's Note:**

> the return of my wall-of-text author's notes lol
> 
> For the prompt:
> 
> "I really really want to see more of Patton and Logan’s friendship when they were little. Like, them playing and learning more about each other. Learning what it’s like to have a friend, outside of family, for the first time. Like, maybe their first sleepover or something like that? What happens between “sings the tune without the words” and “what you choose to put in the ground?” I just love little Patton and Logan. Thank you!" (from [@sergeantsarcasm7](sergeantsarcasm7.tumblr.com) over on tumblr)
> 
> Polyrhythms are COOL AF - [heres](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/polyrhythmBeatGenerator.php) a link to a generator that lets you make your own! (and [here](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/polyrhythmBeatGenerator.php?l=00006060000000000000&m=&d=0) is the embed link for the one Logan uses)
> 
> [Clapping games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapping_game) are also cool (and as my wonderful beta [@trivia-goddess](trivia-goddess.tumblr.com) informed me, the subject of much anthropological study, which is again, ALSO cool) 
> 
> There is a TON of regional variation so a lot of these links aren’t exact matches for either the lyrics or the clapping patterns i personally was picturing, but they’ll give you the gist - the referenced games are [The Sailor Went To Sea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28uNq8XQPK8), [Miss Mary Mack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX7ixF80Rnk), [Doubles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTR8seixIys) (that one is way harder than it looks, at least for me lol), [Sevens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3knQAUN1kcY) (volume warning on that one, and also both Doubles and Sevens can be played alone if you want to try them out), and [Boom Snap Clap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBSteR_0vdQ) (this ones my favorite)

The first time Patton had Logan over to the house, his parents had sat him down for a whole production of a talk about “boundaries.”

“No, I know!” said Patton, “_Telling_ doesn’t work on him, but he says it still makes his fingers tingle, so I know not to do it. And I know about sharing and being polite, and y’know, not shoving and stuff,”

Granted, Patton had learned almost all of that from TV, or from wistfully watching other kids from far away – but it didn’t seem too complicated. He was pretty sure he got the gist.

“I know you do, honey,” said Momma, “But I’m not quite talking about _Logan’s_ boundaries, just now. Though of course those are important,”

Patton wrinkled his nose.

“Then what-?”

“I want you to know _your_ boundaries are just as important,”

Patton gave her a blank look.

Pop ran his fingers through his hair.

“Kiddo,” he said, “We just wanna make sure you know you don’t have to go along with everything Logan says, just because you’re afraid of disagreeing, or upsetting him,”

Patton squirmed uncomfortably.

“I know,” he said.

“Do you?”

Patton felt a little shrunk down as they looked at him.

“I-”

He looked away.

“What if he doesn’t like me anymore, though?” he said weakly.

Momma reached out and squeezed his hand.

“Then it’s his loss, honey,” she said quietly, “This is important, okay? I know it doesn’t feel like it, but a bad friend can be a lot worse than no friends at all,”

“Logan’s _great_, though,” said Patton.

“Patty,” she said firmly, “You gotta promise me, okay?”

Patton wavered, and then he slumped in defeat.

“I promise,” he muttered.

And he did mean it. Mostly. He _thought_ anyway – he definitely _wanted_ to mean it. Fibbing to his parents made him feel super gross, and Patton liked to avoid it at all costs. He just wasn’t sure if he’d actually be able to follow through if it did come up.

He’d fled the conversation as soon as he could manage; most of the anxiety about it had evaporated when he’d heard the Sanders’ car on the gravel drive anyway.

Patton answered the door himself, grinning, his parents right behind him. Mr. Sanders smiled down at him with Logan at his side.

Patton greeted Mr. Sanders quickly, and held out his hand for Logan. Logan eyed it, his head tilted in that way that made him look distinctly _fey_, and then took it.

Patton took off past the grown-ups, down the porch steps and out onto the lawn. Logan trotted after him.

“Do you wanna see the goats?” asked Patton.

Logan shook his head.

“Animals do not like me,” he said, “It will upset them if I get close,”

“But you have the fish?”

Logan shrugged.

“The fish do not seem to be aware of my presence. It is an improvement over biting me,”

Patton frowned immediately.

“They _bite_ you?”

Logan nodded.

Patton looked around, humming.

“Well, we have a pond, and there’s fish in it. Do you wanna see?”

Logan perked up a little.

“Yes, please,” he said, “What kind?”

Patton started tugging him around the side of the house.

“It’s mostly bluegills,” he said, “And minnows and catfish. I think some other stuff too, but I don’t remember the names,”

Logan nodded, a little bit more solemn than Patton thought was strictly necessary. They made their way down the sloping lawn to the pond at the bottom, and Patton let go of Logan’s hand to show him how to hop across the gap between the bank and the small dock.

Logan made the jump, though he gave Patton an odd look while he did it.

“Is there a reason you jump instead of using the wooden board? Presumably it is there specifically for use as a bridge,”

Patton paused.

“Um… I don’t know I guess. I think it’s good luck to jump, but I don’t really remember why I think that,”

Logan just tilted his head again. Patton felt his face get a little pink.

“Is it _bad_ luck to _miss_ the jump then?” Logan asked.

Patton giggled.

“Well, I get pretty wet when it happens, so I’d say so,”

That made Logan crack a small smile, and Patton tried not to preen too obviously.

At the other end of the dock, Patton sat down and took off his sandals, rolling up the legs of his jeans.

“It seems… a little late in the year, for swimming,” said Logan warily.

“Oh, definitely,” said Patton immediately, “I just like to put my feet in, and it’s not too bad for that yet,”

Logan hesitated another moment, before sitting to remove his own shoes. Patton let his feet trail in the water, smiling as the fish came up and nibbled at his toes.

Logan – now barefoot, but still sitting back from the edge – frowned into the water.

“Isn’t that unpleasant?” he asked.

“Not really,” said Patton, “Since they don’t have teeth. But you don’t have to,”

Logan paused, and then cautiously put one foot down in the water. One of the fish got him pretty quick, and he jumped so bad all of them scattered, but he relaxed right after.

“It is not unbearable,” he said, putting his other foot in as well. The fish slowly started creeping back towards both of them.

“They are very nearly as docile as my own fish,” he continued, “Odd,”

“I come down and feed them,” said Patton, wiggling his toes and smiling at the little flashes of shiny fins, “Whenever we have bread that’s gone stale or moldy. Sometimes I lay on my stomach and hold it in my hands and they come right up to me to eat it,”

Logan didn’t say anything, and when Patton looked up he had that confused, head-tilted look again, which was quickly becoming familiar. It had struck Patton as very fey at first, but the longer he looked, the less unsettling it became. It made Logan look a bit like an owl.

“What?” said Patton.

“You remind me of a cartoon character, frequently,” said Logan, “With your hair and-”

He waved a hand in Patton’s direction.

“-overall demeanor,” he continued, “It’s very interesting,”

Patton giggled a little nervously.

“What character?”

“Oh, no, I mean-”

Logan shook his head.

“Not any character in particular. Just… cartoons in general, I suppose. Or perhaps a picture book,”

“Huh,” said Patton, “Well, thanks,”

More confusion, and a slight frown this time.

“Why are you thanking me?” Logan asked.

Patton felt just as lost. He wondered just how long they were gonna keep talking crossways, because it didn’t seem to be slowing down.

“You gave me a compliment,” he responded, “You called me interesting,”

“Oh,” said Logan, “I don’t know if that counts,”

“‘Counts?’” said Patton incredulously, “What, as a compliment?”

Logan nodded.

“It’s more of an observation,” said Logan, “You are a very interesting person,”

Silence fell.

“Why are you turning red?” said Logan curiously.

Patton couldn’t think of anything to say that didn’t sound stupid, so he just kicked some water at Logan with a nervous giggle.

Logan looked offended for a moment, but Patton thought he must have been playing at it, because then he smiled and leaned forward to splash Patton right back.

The water caught the afternoon light, and so did Logan’s eyes, shiny and silver and bright with joy.

Patton wondered how on Earth anybody ever could have been afraid of him.

—

Patton was good company. He didn’t huff when Logan asked questions about his behavior, like most of Thomas’s friends did (and in fact, asked nearly as many himself), and when they lapsed into silence he didn’t seem to find it rude as most _adults_ did. He smiled at the fish, even after Logan explained their eyesight most likely prevented them from seeing it properly which was…

Logan didn’t have a word he thought was quite right. Soft? Logan cared for his fish because he was fond of them, and it was his responsibility, but he never considered it to be a reciprocal relationship. Patton seemed to regard the residents of the pond as his friends.

Eventually both of them ran out of tolerance for the chill of the water, but they remained on the dock. The Waller farm was beautiful – for someone who grew up in the middle of an enchanted forest, Logan hadn’t actually spent all that much time out-of-doors. Or at least, out of _town_ anyway – he wandered the dozen or so streets of Wickhills proper frequently, but he’d never really gotten any farther. Why bother?

But the feel of the air, and the faint sounds of the goats in the barn and the dozens of wind-chimes strung up around the outside of the house, even the frogs singing on the bank – all of it was much more pleasant than Logan would have initially guessed. He thought he might be happy to sit on the dock for hours if Patton was amenable.

“What are you doing?” said Patton curiously.

Logan startled a little, not expecting Patton to speak so suddenly. And then he was confused, because he didn’t think he was doing anything in particular, just sitting on the dock facing Patton with the wood under his tapping knuckles-

Ah.

“Apologies,” he said, pulling his hands back to rest in his lap, “I didn’t mean to annoy you,”

Patton looked… inexplicably distressed.

“You didn’t!” he exclaimed, “I just- it had a beat, was all, I wondered if it was a song,”

“Oh,” said Logan, “No, it is- er, do you know what a polyrhythm is?”

Patton shook his head.

“My dad taught me about them – he is the high school music teacher,” Logan explained, “Here-”

He moved backwards slightly, placing his hands flat between them.

“A polyrhythm is a- well, a rhythm, obviously, produced by combining two different indivisible rhythms, such as two and three, or three and four,”

Patton looked utterly baffled. Logan winced.

“It may be easier to simply demonstrate,” he said, a little sheepish, “This is three,”

He showed Patton with his left hand.

“And this is four,”

The right.

“So, you combine them and-”

The beat sounded significantly more complex, which was the fun part. Separately they were very simple, but the end result was much greater than the sum of its parts.

Logan looked back up, and Patton no longer seemed confused. He was _beaming, _and Logan felt his face heat up slightly.

“That’s _amazing!_” he said.

Logan cleared his throat.

“It’s- it’s only math,”

“I thought you said it was music?”

“Music is math,” said Logan, shrugging, “Numbers and patterns and repeating sequences. The same thing,”

“You’re just full of fun facts, gosh,” said Patton, “Where do you even put all of them?”

Logan wasn’t sure how to respond to that. His first instinct was to explain facts were not physical objects he could store anywhere, but he was fairly certain Patton was being metaphorical.

Patton attempted to imitate the polyrhythm, but he faltered almost immediately. He didn’t seem too distraught, which was a relief.

And idea occurred to Logan the same moment Patton shrugged and gave up.

“There are… other rhythm games I know,” he said, “Partnered ones, I could- I could show you, if you like?”

“Partnered? Like what?”

“You may have seen others play them, um… with the clapping?”

Patton looked uncomprehending for another moment, and then he grinned again.

“Oh, I have seen those! They always look so fun, and they have little songs-”

He cut off abruptly.

“… Patton?”

“Um…” said Patton, much quieter, “I can’t. I can’t sing,”

Logan frowned.

“Well, I am not very proficient either,” said Logan, “Skill is not necessary, only a consistent rhythm,”

“No, I mean-”

He waved a hand at his throat.

“It isn’t safe,”

“Oh,” said Logan, “I understand. I can recite the words alone, in that case. Only the clapping actually requires both participants,”

It was quickly becoming apparent that even if he was upset, it was very easy to make Patton smile. Equally apparent was that Logan was, frankly, absurdly fond of making Patton smile.

“A simple one, to start?” said Logan. Patton nodded eagerly.

“So, you clap, and then cross-”

Patton mirrored his movement.

“And then the other way – yes, good – and then we clap palm to palm three times,”

They fumbled the first one, but the second and third were successful.

“That’s it?”

“As I said, this one is very simple,”

Logan led Patton through it a little faster.

“I think I got it,” said Patton.

“Me, too,” said Logan, “Ready?”

Another nod.

“So then the words go: _The sailor went to sea, sea, sea-_”

Patton giggled, and Logan almost fumbled the lyrics for some reason, but he recovered.

“‘_To see what he could see, see, see; but all that he could see, see, see-”_

They’d sped up a little as they went, though it was unintentional on Logan’s part. Patton was focused intently on their hands, and Logan felt himself smiling around the words.

“_-was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea,”_

Patton cheered when they finished, adding several enthusiastic extra claps to the end. Logan laughed before he could stop himself.

“You did well,” said Logan, “It was fun,”

“It was!” Patton agreed, “A lot of fun,”

“Do you want to see another?” said Logan. He was a little embarrassed at the obvious eagerness in his voice, but it didn’t last long in the face of Patton’s delighted expression and continued clapping.

“Well, ‘Miss Mary Mack’ has utterly absurd lyrics, but it is approximately the next level of difficulty-”

Logan walked Patton through the steps of ‘Miss Mary Mack,’ and then ‘Doubles,’ and then ‘Sevens.’ They both enjoyed Sevens but Logan found himself oddly put out by the fact it didn’t require physical contact between them.

‘Boom Snap Clap’ was also fairly simple, but they did it several times because they both liked that particular rhythm. They paused because Patton said his hands were starting to tingle a little, and Logan quietly tapped a polyrhythm in the wood underneath them while Patton laid on his stomach and trailed his hands in the cool water.

“Where’d you learn all these?” asked Patton.

“My brother taught me,” Logan replied, “And he learned them from his friends,”

Logan felt a little sheepish, picking at a loose thread on his jeans.

“And- now you are my friend, so, I thought I ought to show you. That seems to be the general progression of the process, anyway,”

Patton didn’t respond for a long moment, but when Logan looked up he wasn’t… ‘weirded out’ like Logan thought he might be. He was smiling again, but softer, looking even more like a storybook character than he had before. Logan had the fleeting, nonsensical thought that Patton’s hair looked like spun gold.

“Thank you,” said Patton quietly. Logan got the impression he wasn’t talking about the rhythm games.

“You’re welcome,” he said anyway.

Patton’s smile widened, his eyes sparkling just as gold as his hair. He sat up, scooting forward to sit across from Logan and hold his hands out once more.

As Logan showed him the pattern for the next game, he did take a moment to let himself be truly baffled.

Patton was so _soft_ – how could anyone possibly be afraid of him?

**Author's Note:**

> you can also find me over on [tumblr](tulipscomeinalsortsofcolors.tumblr.com) and prompts are open again!


End file.
